The present invention relates to a handle device for an automobile door.
As a prior art, there has been known an automobile handle device in which a handle member is rotated in a horizontal direction to open an automobile door.
As shown in FIG. 6, the handle device is made up of a handle member 2, a first base member 6 for fixing the handle member 2 on an automobile door panel 1, and a second base member 12.
On one end of the handle member 2, there is protrusively provided an arm section 3 having an approximate L shape and which is mounted on the first base member 6. The arm section 3 has a pivot shaft insert groove 4 provided on the top thereof. The pivot shaft insert groove 4 is formed to have an approximate U shape with a unilateral opening section 4a for improving operability in the assembling process. On the end of the handle member 2 opposite the arm section 3, there is protrusively provided a projected section 5 having an approximately lateral concave shape and which is mounted on the second base member 12.
The first base member 6 is to be installed in an edge portion of the handle member 2 on the side of the arm section 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the first base member 6 has a fixed board section 7 disposed along the door panel 1. The fixed board section 7 has an arm section insert hole 8 for inserting the arm section 3 of the handle member 2. On the upper surface of the fixed board section 7, there is provided a fixed section 9 to be positioned and fixed on the door panel 1, while on the lower surface of the fixed board section 7, there is provided a pair of frame board sections 10 extended from the edge of the arm section insert hole 8. These frame board sections 10 are disposed parallel to rotative direction of the arm section 3 in the handle member 2, and their top edges are integrally coupled by a coupling section 10a. On the top edge side of the frame board section 10, there is disposed a pivot shaft 11 across the frame board sections 10 for rotatably supporting the handle member 2 through the arm section 3.
The second base member 12 is to be installed in an edge portion of the handle member 2 on the side of the projected section 5. As shown in FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, the second base member 12 has a fixed base section 13 disposed along the door panel 1. The fixed base section 13 has a concave section 14 that matches with the shape of the edge portion of the handle member 2. In this concave section 14, there is provided an insert hole 15 for inserting the projected section 5. Below the insert hole 15, there is placed a lever 16 in a rotatable manner. The lever 16 is pressed downward in FIG. 8 by a spring 20. The fixed base section 13 also has a fixed section 17 to be positioned and fixed on the door panel 1, and a key cylinder mounting section 19 for mounting a key cylinder 18.
In order to mount the handle member 2 on the automobile door panel 1 by using the first base member 6 and the second base member 12, first the arm section 3 of the handle member 2 is inserted into the arm section insert hole 8 of the first base member 6 so that the pivot shaft 11 is fit into the pivot shaft insert groove 4. The projected section 5 of the handle member 2 is inserted into the insert hole 15 of the second base member 12, and after the lever 16 is hooked on the projected section 5 by rotating the lever 16, the lever 16 is rotatably supported together with the spring 20 by a pivot shaft. Then, a fastening section of the spring 20 is fastened to the lever 16, so that the projected section 5 is urged downward in FIGS. 6, 9A and 9B by the lever 16 subjected to restorative force of the spring 20.
In this way, the handle member 2 equipped with the first base member 6 and the second base member 12 is disposed on a mounting section 1a of the door panel 1, where the handle member 2 is fixed on the door panel 1 through the fixed sections 9 and 17 of the base members 6 and 12.
In this mounted state, the movement of the handle member 2 on the right side in FIG. 6 is restricted by the second base member 12. In addition, the lever 16 pressed downward by the spring 20 restricts the vertical movement within a certain extent. This prevents the handle member 2 from departing from the first base member 6 and the second base member 12.
However, in the above-stated automobile handle device, the first base member 6 and the handle member 2 are kept in the mounted state only by the engagement of the pivot shaft 11 in the pivot shaft insert groove 4, so that taking the handle member 2 in hand during mounting operation puts the first base member 6 in a freely rotatable state. Consequently, in the process of mounting the handle member 2 equipped with the first base member 6 and the second base member 12 on the door panel 1, if an X-directional force, shown in FIG. 10, opposite to the direction of the opening section 4a of the pivot shaft insert groove 4 is applied to the handle member 2, or if a Y-directional force, shown in FIG. 10, is applied to the first base member 6, the first base member 6 and the handle member 2 are detached from each other by a release of engagement between the pivot shaft 11 and the pivot shaft insert groove 4.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile handle device which prevents detachment of a base member for fixing a handle member on a door panel and enables to improve operability in the assembling process.
In order to accomplish the above object, an automobile handle device of the present invention comprises: a handle member having an arm section protrusively provided on one end thereof and a pivot shaft insert groove with an opening section on an edge of the arm section; a base member for fixing the handle member on an automobile door panel, made up of a fixed base board section to be fixed on the door panel, an arm section insert hole formed on the fixed base board section for inserting the arm section of the handle member, a pair of frame board sections protrusively provided in parallel from an edge of the arm section insert hole, and a pivot shaft provided across the frame board sections and received in the pivot shaft insert groove to rotatably support the handle member, wherein a cover member is provided which covers the base member and which has a first wall section for restricting the movement of the handle member in such manner that the pivot shaft does not depart from the pivot shaft insert groove within a rotational range of the handle member.
According to the above automobile handle device, the cover member has a first wall section for restricting the movement of the handle member in such manner that the pivot shaft does not depart from the pivot shaft insert groove of the arm section, which prevents detachment of the base member from the handle member.
In the automobile handle device of the invention, it is preferable to provide a step section on a pair of the frame board sections of the base member on the side of the opening section of the handle member, and to provide the cover member with a second wall section to be engaged with the step section. This ensures prevention of detachment of the cover member from the base member.
It is also preferable that an edge of the arm section insert hole of the base member and the first wall section of the cover member constitute a restricting section for restricting a rotational range of the handle member.
Alternatively, it is preferable that the first wall section and the second wall section of the cover member constitute a restricting section for restricting a rotational range of the handle member.